Readers’ letters - December 15

Protesters dress up as polar bears at the international conference on climate change in Paris this year. See letter

Published:10:58Thursday 17 December 2015

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Ways to help the planet

President Obama’s presidency is to conclude with a flourish now the international conference on climate change is at an end.

Money is to be made available to help emerging nations adapt to clean energy.

Will it last?

We and the Americans can all help immediately by simply choosing to buy and drive smaller cars with smaller engines.

I hope some money will be available to help Cairo, the biggest city in Africa. Might they harness hydro-electric power by flooding with sea water, gradually over time, the great Qattara depression which is below sea level, and begins 30 miles in land from the Mediterranean?

But we must proceed with prudence and caution.

One or two flagship hydro- electric schemes in some countries in East Africa have been started but never come on line.

Please can we see this money is not wasted again in future, by making payments to contractors dependent on projects generating the power expected and required, before the contractors and equipment providers are paid?

Can we also simply plant more trees here in this country in the Peak District, in the Highlands, and especially in the Lake District, to prevent further flooding in Carlisle?

Nigel Boddy

Address supplied

Improving fracture care

The Patients Association fully supports the National Hip Fracture Database’s recommendations to improve hip fracture care. We have heard from patients on our National Helpline who have either waited too long for their hip operations, or who have received poor care during rehabilitation. With 60,000 hip operations a year, this is an all too common problem.

Cuts to social care budgets have left many hip fracture patients particularly vulnerable. A lack of available intermediate care is leaving these elderly patients at risk. We are on the brink of a winter crisis. Elderly patients must have a network of social care to help restart their lives after such major surgery.

The Patients Association calls for an end to the variation in care that many hip fracture patients are currently receiving.

Hospitals must ensure that all patients are given the necessary hydration, drug and physiotherapist plans to allow them to recover from surgery. CCGs must now implement these recommendations and work towards providing a consistent level of care for all hip fracture patients.

Katherine Murphy,

Chief Executive, Patients Association

Expensive pay phones

Recently, I needed to make a phone call as my mobile wasn’t working, I spotted a BT telephone kiosk and entered. The minimum charge was 60p, which I thought was excessive, but proceeded in putting my money into the machine.

I dialled the number, listened to the phone ringing before it went to the answer machine saying to leave a message after the beep.

Just as it beeped before I could leave a message, the phone died and said I had insufficient funds.

We truly do live in rip-off Britain, or in this case ‘rip-off British Telecom’.

In my opinion this is completely immoral.

It should be illegal and BT should be thoroughly ashamed of itself. Talk about ‘daylight robbery’.